The Duflou Family in the Languedoc, Paris and Flanders

Historical notes and genealogy

N° 88 bis

Given by decree, the 26^th of the month September in the year 1698, by the General Commissioners of the Chamber responsible for the armorial bearings.

In this case: those of

Joseph Henry Duflou, Sir de Meissonnier.

The armorial bearings that have been painted and drawn here after having received them, have been registered in the General Escutcheon, in the register of Montpellier. The duties have been paid as determined in the Rates and Arrest of the Counsel, on the 20^th November 1696. Consequently, the present certificate had been given by Charles D’Hozier, Counsellor of the King, and Guardian of the General Escutcheon of France, etc.

Paris, the 5th of the Month December of the year 1698.

The present statement has been certified by us, Lambert de Montoison, successor of d’Hozier, herald of the peerage of Frances, genealogist of the House of the King, bearing titles and documents worthy of the king.

Finalised in Paris, with our signing and our seal, the 18^th of September 1911.

The Surname’s origins

The surname Duflou, once widespread in the South of France, originates in a place in the neighbourhood of Carcassonne, and was called The Flou in the region’s language.

The etymologists consider this name to be derived from the Latin ‘fluctus’, because of the weaves or the river Aude, that streams through this region.

The first mentioning of the name of du Flou occurs in a charter of 1224, in which has been written ‘du Flo’ or ‘du Flu’.

The Duflou Family has been living for a long time in the Languedoc and has not left the region until the XVIIIth century.

Escutcheon

The oldest escutcheons of the family du Flou have been found on a seal, dated the XVth century, belonging to a Guillaume Duflou or Du Flou (the name has been spelled in both ways on the charter).

The seal is an escutcheon shaped as a pointed arch, inclining to the right and showing a chess pattern, placed next to a so-called chef de vair (a escutcheon with a silver and blue lining of clock-shaped compartments). The escutcheon bears also a closed helmet, in profile, and embellished with lambrequins. It has a crest with, as was customary in classic arts, two wings with the back to one another.

Later, with the Revising of 1696, the escutcheons of du Flou were registered in the General Armory of France, under the name of Pierre André du Flou, Sir de Messonnier, counsellor of the King, and afterwards General Inspector of the War for Montpellier.

The azure escutcheon shows a golden cross, accompanied by a half-moon (rising from money?) and by two stars in the sides, and by five coins, disorderly arranged in rows of two and three.

One branch of the Duflou family converted to the protestant religion and moved to the Netherlands, at the time of the Revocation of the Decree of Nantes. They took on new escutcheons to distinguish themselves from the branch of the family that stayed catholic.

Chess board in gold and red, with on top a red heart. This symbolises the attachment that the Duflou family feels for the reformed religion.

Chronology

From the XIIIth Century onwards, the old archives of the Languedoc mention the Duflou family. In 1224, we find a man, quoted under this name as a witness in a charter, in which Guy de Banoles attributes the grounds of Bonoles and of Caupenda (Capendu?) to Raymond de Trincavel, count of Beziers and high officer the law of Carcassonne.

In 1372 the consular registers of Périgueux teach us that the Counsels of this city welcomed Guillaume Duflou as messenger of the city of Carcassonne, its citizens and magistrates. As a welcome gift, they gave him a 4 year old horse and a harness, both coming from France.

On the 20^th of June 1494, another Guillaume Duflou has been quoted as one of the Royal Commissioners, he was welcomed by the mayor and the aldermen of Carcassonne.

The history of the Duflou offspring, however uncertain, could be described with reasonable certainty from the end of the XVth century onwards.

We can mention:

I. Robert du Flou, captain of the fifty men of the infantry, qualified as Nobilis vir’ in his testament, in 1522.

He left six children:

1.Robert (see below)

2.Jean Duflou, deceased without descendants

3.Jehan Duflou, certified priest and later on canon in the Saint Michael Church in Carcassonne.

4.Denise du Floux (sic), married to Mr. Jean de Cédart, sir de Haut Peu.

5.Anne Duflou, married to Mr. de Garriega.

6.Rose, deceased without descendants

II. Robert Duflou, Mr. de Barbeira, born in 1508, deceased around 1550-55.

In his testament of 1550, he left his belongings to his youngest son Abraham, thus disinheriting his oldest son Jean-Louis, because of the detestable religion of Calvin, that his son had adopted, renouncing the beliefs of his forefathers.

He left:

1.Jean Luis Duflou de Barbera, who adopted the principals of the Reformed Religion. In 1546 he married Isabeau de la Garnissière, with whom he had four children

A. Jean Louis Duflou: ancestor of Jean Duflou, who emigrated to the Netherlands in 1686, after the revocation of the Decree of Nantes. It was he who took on new escutcheons, thus renouncing every connection to his former family.

B. Philippe Duflou, husband of Marguerite Rey

C. Jean, sir of Bose, killed in duty.

D. Marie, wife of Barnard de Voison, sir de Sendat

2. Abraham (see below)

3. Jacques Duflou or du Flou, archer of the royal corps, who acquitted for the amount of 200 pounds for his wages of his service in January, February and March of the year 1558. This same Jacques Duflou died in 1596. He left one son: Jacques du Flou, Sir de Royauleourt, ennobled September 8^th, 1619. (His name was also spelled as le Flou)

III. Abraham du Flou, Sir of Meissonnier in Languedoc, only heir to his father by his testament. He was the captain of a regiment of 100 soldiers and married in 1604 to Anne Vigneaux, with whom he had:

1.Josias (see below)

2.Pierre Duflou, priest, canon of Saint Etienne, vicar of Sir the Archbishop of Toulouse.

In 1649, he protested nearby the Parliament against the assembly of the bailiff of Garillac.

In 1651, the same canon and vicar was appointed to the organisation of the burial of his archbishop Sir de Monrechal.

IV. Josias du Flou, Sir de Meissonnier, born in 1605 and confirmed in his nobility on May 8^th 1667. He married in 1639 to Armoise de Peti, daughter of Daniel, with whom he had:

1.Henry (see below)

2. Esmée Saturnin Cesar Duflou, brigadier of the guards of the Royal Corps in the Regimanet of Villeroy (acquittance of the wages on April 30^th 1697). Later, he became marshal of lodgings in the second regiment of guards. He died unmarried.
3. Henry Duflou died young

4. Pierre André Duflou, sir of Meissonnier, counsellor of the king, common supervisor of War Affairs in the municipality of Montpellier. It is he who had his escutcheons registered and received in the General Escutcheon of France, set up by the Royal Decree of November 20th, 1696.

The escutcheons are conserved in the second register of the province of Languedoc, in generality of Montpellier, P452 n° 88. The request for registration, dated September 26^th of 1698 was authorised on the following 5^th of December.

V. Joseph Henry Duflou, born in 1648, married in 1686 to Suzanne de Saint Sardos, with whom he had:

1. Bernard, emigrated to Paris, went into the service of the King in the second regiment of his guards

2. Henry (see below)

3. Suzanne, died as a child.

He had the escutcheons of the Armorial of France received, as we can see in the decree named above.

VI. Henry Duflou, born in 1702, who also became guard in the second Regiment. He married later, to Marguerite de Haene ou de Hane de Furnes in Flanders.

In this marriage were born:

1. Pierre Duflou, deceased in Paris in 1793.

2. M. Duflou, emigrated to and settled in Furnes, in his mother’s country at the end of the XVIIIth century.

Here end the documents received in France, on the Duflou family, of which one branch originates from Nieuport and is now being represented by sir Henry Duflou, engineer in Antwerp.

VOOR DE LIEFSTE PEPE, GENT, 29 MEI 2007.